19 Jan Mayors of Galicia and Alto Minho Demand Urgent Responses for the Minho River

The mayors of the municipalities along the Minho River are calling for joint and coordinated management of the international stretch and are demanding urgent responses from the governments of Portugal and Spain in the face of problems that are worsening on the ground.

The situation stems from the lack of an effective response to structural problems affecting the Minho River, namely the silting of the international stretch, with direct impacts on navigability, safety, fishing, and tourism; the spread of invasive alien species; and the management of transboundary water flows, with significant effects on ecosystems, traditional economic activities, and the safety of local populations.

Municipalities on both riverbanks warn that institutional fragmentation and the lack of coordination between entities continue to hinder effective on-the-ground responses, despite the seriousness and persistence of the identified problems.

In this context, the municipalities reiterate their request that both States treat the environmental problems of the Minho River as a priority at the 36th Luso-Spanish Summit, scheduled for January 29, and advocate for the river’s inclusion on the agenda of the bilateral meeting.

“The territory is united and speaks with a single voice,” the municipalities state, emphasizing that the Minho River requires joint, structured, and urgent responses.

The mayors are working in a coordinated manner on both sides of the river and underline that the international stretch of the Minho River is the most humanized and dynamic along the entire Luso-Spanish border, playing a central role in the cultural identity of the territory and serving as a fundamental environmental, social, and economic resource for riverine communities. They also warn of a perception of neglect by the central governments, in contrast to the strategic importance of the Minho River for the territory and for the populations that depend on it.

This position was unanimously adopted within the framework of the Working Committee of the Minho River Pact, created at the proposal of the current leadership of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) of the Minho River, led by José Manuel Vaz Carpinteira, and approved by the General Assembly. The Assembly agreed on the integration of the municipalities of Salvaterra do Miño, Tui, and O Rosal on the Galician bank, and Melgaço, Valença, and Caminha on the Portuguese bank, reflecting a clear political mandate from the mayors and affirming the EGTC as the central platform for articulation and cross-border cooperation in the defense of the Minho River.